Front end height

[67 GT350]

Just acquired a GT350. It is a non Koni car but it has them installed. Also, it does not have the upper arm relocation. To me it is high in the front. (From the ground to the top of the fender, centered to the wheel, it measures 35 inches). Is that somewhat a normal height? I have 215-65-14 tires.
I would like to lower it, front only. What is the best means?
Order custom front springs?
Relocate the upper control arm?
Other?
Not interested in cutting the coil, or lowering the back also.

[deathsled]

The A arms were dropped on my beloved 6s843 by the prior owner/ curator.  I added 475 pound coils to the front with a one inch drop to get the profile I currently have on the redhead.

Many congratulations on your acquisition, incidentally.

[Bob Gaines]

Just acquired a GT350. It is a non Koni car but it has them installed. Also, it does not have the upper arm relocation. To me it is high in the front. (From the ground to the top of the fender, centered to the wheel, it measures 35 inches). Is that somewhat a normal height? I have 215-65-14 tires.
I would like to lower it, front only. What is the best means?
Order custom front springs?
Relocate the upper control arm?
Other?
Not interested in cutting the coil, or lowering the back also.

If you want to modify the stance from a factory higher in the front later 66 Shelby configuration then the way to do that with a minimal amount of issues to reverse the mods in the future if so desired would be to replace and save the stock springs and order some after market springs. Of course you can do the Shelby drop but that is problematic if someone wants to return that back to stock and have it look like it was never done. Typical after market replacement coil springs will sit at least as high if not higher then what you have now . I have seen heavier rated performance springs that are already lowered but expect a much harsher ride given what they are meant for plus they may be too low or not low enough. I haven't heard of a place that you can order coil springs for a specific height just ones that may be in the general range compared to stock. Final adjustment is left up the the buyer by cutting the springs to fit. That is unless you want to settle for whatever is sent you if it isn't exactly like you want.  You have to cut to fit typically. Cutting to fit isn't hard to do but can be somewhat tedious un installing and installing as adjustment are made. Best to do it in small increments . Better to cut too little then too much.    FYI unlike the 67 and 68 Shelby springs that are special the 65/66 coil springs are common to regular Mustang Hipo  in wire size and rating so finding exact looking replacements is not that hard. Just some of my observations and opinions. Others may have different.  I hope this helps.   

[deathsled]

Okay, found the before pictures of the springs that the shop that did some of the assembly had installed.  The height absolutely sucked (from an aesthetic view).  Don't care if it is concourse or not.  Out of frustration, I decided to fix it myself using that simulated shock that bolts to where the real shock goes and then you turn the bolt to compress the spring.  I wanted the height that I currently have.  Not looking to win any awards here.  The next owner can redo as they want, once 843 is pried from my cold, dead, hands.  Just don't wreck the car or I will come back to haunt you as a bad ass poltergeist.
475 pound springs with a one inch drop baby.  The ride is very pleasant (for me at least).  205 60R 15 on the front wrapping around 15 x 7 torque thrusts.  I don't believe that the lowered A arms contribute to the drop.  My understanding (correct me if I am wrong) is that lowering the A arms make no difference to the ride height.
Cobra 1 inch aluminum lowering blocks sit on the rear now.  No rubbing with the front wheels and about a half inch space between tire and fender when wheels turned left or right.  Fenders are NOT rolled.

[jk66gt350]

When I bought 6S1575 thirty five years ago, it still had the original springs in it and it had a pair of coil spring compressers like these on each coil, which lowered the front end by an inch or so. https://www.amazon.ca/Superior-18-1201-Spring-Lox-Adjustable-Spring/dp/B00029K20C/ref=asc_df_B00029K20C/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292957666764&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2914681684092650939&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9000890&hvtargid=pla-434612176739&psc=1  I know nothing about your car or how "correct" you want it to be - and I'm sure some on this forum would say that it would be crazy to do this to a shelby, but I'm just putting it out there as a potential very simple option seeing as you do not want to cut your springs.  I ran the car for a year before I restored the car and removed the clamps, and the springs returned to their normal height.  The car had been stored for 10 years when I bought it so those clamps had been on for a long time.  While the clamps were on, they in no way interfered with the operation of the car.       

[shelbydoug]

First off, look at the side views of 'original '65 GT350's. There are plenty around in the original magazine road tests to see.

Look at how the tire sits under the front fender lip.

The front springs were not changed. No other changes were made to those cars other then realigning the fronts.

That is a definite rake down in the front from stock. Consider also, the '65s also have the infamous "Ford Competition" rear leaf springs, as all original "Shelbys" do, that normally would sit the car with a speedboat in motion rake, the nose up.

So, yes, that's a lowering in the front. About 1" lower.


Now keep in mind though, that when you do the Shelby 1" front upper a-arm drop, you are creating a bump steer condition. One that the cars were delivered with and a correction was never provided for.

To this day, I can't answer why new owners and even the road test reviews never complained about it or mostly never even mentioned it.

The only way that I can rationalize that is 1) none of them had ever heard of bump steer and didn't know what it is 2) the 65 is such a brutal Conestoga Wagon/raging buck board to begin with, they blamed it on the front spring rates, over inflated tires and Koni's shocks set on high.

I wouldn't go as far as calling them stupid bastards but I sure am tempted, maybe I'm just lacking the vocabulary to describe the lack of recognition of what it is? What's the word?

Maybe they were just speechless at this "Shelby version of 'farfegnugen'?



Those cars DO BUMP STEER and under certain road conditions, as delivered will knock the fillings out of your teeth and in my case, the shock will injure both of your shoulders trying to hold the steering wheel from jolting the car to changing lanes left or right instantaneously.

Radial tires do help soften that but there is no question in MY mind that they require bump steer corrector kits to civilize them.


I should also mention at this point that there are two different  templets for the drop. Somewhere in the '66-7 model year time frame Ford revised the pattern. One drops them straight down (the revised) whereas the original also moved them forward.

While you should consider heeding Bob's caution about modifying the car, it is your car and the lowered arms do improve cornering very noticeably. Albeit at the cost of pretty nasty bump steer.

[NC TRACKRAT]

Like the OP, I got sick and tired of our '66 looking as though it was getting ready to launch but I didn't want to drill holes for the one-inch drop.  So, a few years back, I did exactly what Bob Gaines suggested.  I purchased aftermarket springs and methodically cut off an inch at a time until I got the attitude I wanted.  To give the OP a measurement to compare with what he has now, mine measures 33.5 inches to the top of both fenders. After the installation, I performed an alignment using the tried-and-true strings method.  Rest assured, I saved and labelled the original springs for posterity.  Now, when I drive it, I can see the road instead of the hood!

[shelbydoug]

How to lower your a-arms.

https://sep.yimg.com/ty/cdn/yhst-13525187779972/aarms.pdf

[67 GT350]

OK, if I install new springs, won't the car still be high until some resting or settling happens?

[deathsled]

I never experienced any settling on the prior springs and they were on there for a couple of years when the car was back in Toronto.  Nothing settled  When mine came to Chicago again, I lost patience and pitched the springs and put the softer 1 inch drop 475 pounders.  I suppose my car is a 2 inch drop at the front since it is now my understanding that lowering the A arms will drop the nose.
Your car sits quite nicely though.  Great looking 66.  Congratulations again!

[6T6/7]

To me, your car looks pretty darn nice as is

[shelbydoug]

Yep. Black don't crack but white is dynomite! Looks great.

The drop will eliminate the space over the tire to fender lip.

I used what was being called at the time, the "Boss 302" 'off highway' springs. 680 lb/in. My parts guy had the Ford cross part number at the time. It was 1976 ish.


I cut 1/3 of a coil off of them and it was too low in front. It was like it was slammed.
I went back and shimmed up the spring with Mr.Gasket 1" solid poly spacers.

There it has sat for 45 years with NO settling at all.


It was Jim Cowles who noticed that the nose was about 2" lower in front then the other cars parked next to it at the second Dearborn Convention.

[deathsled]

Yep. Black don't crack but white is dynomite! Looks great.

The drop will eliminate the space over the tire to fender lip.

I used what was being called at the time, the "Boss 302" 'off highway' springs. 680 lb/in. My parts guy had the Ford cross part number at the time. It was 1976 ish.


I cut 1/3 of a coil off of them and it was too low in front. It was like it was slammed.
I went back and shimmed up the spring with Mr.Gasket 1" solid poly spacers.

There it has sat for 45 years with NO settling at all.


It was Jim Cowles who noticed that the nose was about 2" lower in front then the other cars parked next to it at the second Dearborn Convention.

ShelbyD, do you have a pic you can attach? (Of the lowered nose.)  (Or the entire car.)
Pretty resourceful idea to use a polymer spacer, incidentally.

[67 GT350]

OK I was not sure if new springs needed time to settle or not. Here is another angle that shows it where I think it looks higher. I also thought if I change the tire size to a slightly lower profile that might be the ticket.
So, I can somewhere find and order springs that just might lower it with no other mods?
OR
I can relocate the upper control arms and get my inch lower? (with the addition of bump and steer)

[shelbydoug]

OK I was not sure if new springs needed time to settle or not. Here is another angle that shows it where I think it looks higher. I also thought if I change the tire size to a slightly lower profile that might be the ticket.
So, I can somewhere find and order springs that just might lower it with no other mods?
OR
I can relocate the upper control arms and get my inch lower? (with the addition of bump and steer)

I don't have any pictures already that would show what you want to see. The car is currently up on jack stands and probably will be until the snow is gone in the spring?


I would call Cobra Automotive and explain to Scotty or Curt your issue. See what they suggest. I can't think of anyone who has been through this more within recent years and I know they have worked with spring suppliers for their own needs. That could benefit you.